Six killed after double-decker bus and passenger train collide in Canadian capital Ottawa

Updated
Thu Sep 19 10:46:57 EST 2013

Photo

A passenger train collided with a double-decker city bus and derailed, killing six people.

Reuters: Chris Wattie

A passenger train and a double-decker city bus have collided on the outskirts of Ottawa, killing six people on the bus and injuring 30 others, emergency officials said.

At least 30 others are being treated in hospital following the crash which occurred at a level crossing during morning rush hour.

The front of the red double-decker bus was sheared off and the engine of the Via Rail train had derailed, but the train cars remained upright with little noticeable damage.

The incident occurred during morning rush hour on the outskirts of the city. Eleven of the people taken to hospital were in critical condition.

One passenger on the bus says the driver did not seem to notice the oncoming train or that the track-level signals were flashing and the gates were down, causing some passengers to warn the driver before the collision.

"People screamed on the bus shortly before the crash because he was not stopping," Gregory Mech, a passenger on the top level of the double-decker bus, told CBC Television.

"I could see that there were bodies on the train tracks. It was horrible. There's just no other way to explain it. Some people were upset and crying."

No train injuries

Via Rail, which operates national rail passenger service in Canada, reported no major injuries on the train.

Passengers on the train, which was heading to Toronto, say they felt a small impact.

"All I felt was a bump, and I saw a bit of smoke. I thought we were going off the track ... I was afraid we were going to flip over," passenger Robert Gencarelli told reporters on the scene.

He says he was startled when he got off the train and saw how badly the bus was damaged.

"That hit home."

People screamed on the bus shortly before the crash because he was not stopping.

Gregory Mech, bus passenger

Ambulances and fire trucks swarmed the scene in the rural west end of Canada's capital city as emergency workers helped train passengers disembark past the wreckage of the bus.

Another train passenger, who did not give his name, says he saw the bus rolling toward the train tracks and knew the collision was about to happen.

"I saw it before it happened. I was expecting something. There was a big bang. ... The bus was rolling. It didn't stop," he said.

Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper was "deeply saddened" to hear about the collision, which came just months after a runaway freight train crash and explosion killed 50 people in Lac-Megantic, Quebec.

"Our thoughts and prayers are (with) the families of those involved," Mr Harper said on Twitter.

Canada's two big railroads - Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway - are reviewing safety standards after the July 6 Lac-Megantic crash that destroyed the centre of the small Quebec town.